


Coming Out Party

by unquietspirit



Category: Fake News RPF, Pundit & Broadcast Journalist RPF (US), Real News RPF
Genre: Gen, Pundit Round Table
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-03
Updated: 2012-07-03
Packaged: 2017-11-09 02:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/450087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unquietspirit/pseuds/unquietspirit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anderson's friends want to show their support.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Out Party

**Author's Note:**

> Not one member of the PRT was on television tonight, which inspired this. Prepare yourself for stomachache-inducing fluff.

At around nine o'clock PM on the day that Anderson made what is probably the biggest announcement of his life, he steps out of the cab that took him from the airport to his house in the East Village. "Thanks," he says, leaning in the window to tip the driver. Anderson is grateful that he wasn't subjected to a conversation with a total stranger about what happened today. In fact, if the driver recognized him, he did a good job of hiding it. Sending that email to Andrew had been a carefully thought-out decision, and he doesn't regret it, but it's going to take some getting used to. He checked Twitter using the plane's wi-fi, and while most of the comments were positive (well, if "didn't we already know this?" can be considered positive), he's not sure he's ready to deal with it just yet. With his mind on a hot shower and his own bed, he opens the firehouse door.

"ANDY!"

"Jesus!" he yelps, jumping nearly two feet in the air. "Stephen, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"He's here? Bring him up!" Jon's voice calls down the stairs. Anderson frowns in its direction and then at Stephen, who smiles.

"I hope you don't mind, but we let ourselves in. We didn't think it'd be a good idea to hang around outside while the paparazzi were here. Are they still out there?"

"I-- no, they're not--" He pauses to collect himself. "Stephen, aren't you and Jon supposed to be on vacation this week? Why... no, never mind that, _how_ did you get into my house?"

"We weren't scheduled to leave until today, but we pushed it back a day," Jon says, now standing at the top of the staircase. "And you gave me a key and the alarm code, remember? When I was watching Molly for you? You should really change that more often, by the way."

"I can see that," he mutters.

Stephen takes the duffel bag out of Anderson's hand and wraps his other arm around Anderson's shoulders. "You all right?" he asks. "We wanted to throw a party to say, y'know, congratulations and shit, but if you'd rather we go..."

"No, it's fine," Anderson says, because as tired as he is, he's also really touched that they gave up a day of vacation with their families to come see him.

"Sure?" Jon asks.

"Yeah."

"Excellent!" Stephen says, grinning again. "Come upstairs. Rachel and Keith are waiting."

"Of course they are," Anderson says, laughing a little.

 

Rachel has clearly brought her own booze, because Anderson only keeps a few bottles of wine and Keith is watching her mix up some strange concoction when Anderson walks into the living room with Stephen's arm still around him.

"Blame them," Keith says without looking around. "I told them it was a bad idea."

"It's okay," Anderson says. "It's good to see you all. But, Rachel, aren't you supposed to be on air right now?"

"Ezra took it," she says. "I wanted to be here." She cuts a slice of lemon, drops it into the glass, and hands it to Keith before turning to Anderson and pulling him into a hug. Her arms get tangled up with Stephen's, who seems like he's not planning on letting go any time soon. "Welcome back, Andy."

Anderson sniffs and wipes at his eyes when she draws away. "Sorry," he says. "Airplane air, y'know. And jet-lag, probably. My body thinks it's three in the morning right now."

"We won't keep you up long," Jon promises. "We just wanted to have a toast. So the quicker you tell Rachel what to make you, the quicker we'll get out of your house." 

"Um... gin and tonic?"

"Coming right up," Rachel says.

As she turns back to the bottles lined up on the table, Jon says, "Stephen, let go, it's my turn," and yanks Anderson into another embrace. For being so small, he's surprisingly strong. He releases him, and Anderson looks at Keith with a raised eyebrow.

"Well? Want to get in on this action?" he asks teasingly, knowing that Keith won't do it.

He's about to relent and hold out his hand instead when Keith sets his glass down on the coffee table with a _thunk_ and says, "Get over here." Suspiciously, he steps forward just enough to be in reach of Keith, who rolls his eyes and closes the rest of the distance himself before wrapping both arms around Anderson tight enough to almost lift him off his feet. Then he shocks Anderson further by dropping a kiss onto his cheek before letting go. "That took guts, kid," he says gruffly. Anderson finds he doesn't mind the nickname nearly as much as usual.

"Here you are. Gin and tonic," Rachel says, pressing the glass into his hand. "Everyone else got theirs?"

There's a moment while Stephen and Jon locate their drinks, and then they all gather into a semicircle in front of Anderson.

"To Anderson!" Stephen proclaims loudly. "Who we are so happy to have back in New York, and who was _brave_ enough... to risk getting eaten by a crocodile!"

"To Anderson!" the rest echo, and Anderson cracks up giggling as they all clink their glasses against his.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, of course, inspired by [this tweet](https://twitter.com/andersoncooper/status/218025739738550274).


End file.
